He nodded.
“Why would they break the lock?They had a key, didn’t they?”They must have.The lock hadn’t been broken the last time we were here.
“I don’t imagine they did,” Mendoza said.
“So someone else did?Who?”
He shrugged.“Whoever shot Mrs.Grimshaw?”
“Why would whoever shot Mrs.Grimshaw wait twenty-four hours to break into the house next door?They had plenty of time to do it while Mrs.G was bleeding out on the floor.”
“This place was occupied then,” Mendoza said.
Yes, but… “If they’d shot Mrs.Grimshaw, it’s not like they balk at shooting Anastasia.Or so you’d think.”
Mendoza seemed to agree with that.Or at least he didn’t argue.
We stood in silence a moment.
“What do we do now?”I asked.
He nodded to the cars in the driveway next door.“I guess we just keep doing what we were doing.I’ll go see Araminta Tucker, and tell her that her house was broken into last night.And see if she can tell me anything she didn’t tell you yesterday.And if Steven calls again, let me know.”
I told him I would, and asked that he return the favor.And then we got into our separate cars and went our separate ways.
Eleven
I tookthe time to go home for a shower and a change of clothes before I headed back to the office.The dog had been fed, and by then, Rachel had probably arrived to take care of her.Edwina was covered.So I figured I could safely spend a few minutes getting out of yesterday’s clothes.
As a result, it was close to ten by the time I finally made it back to Music Row.Rachel’s car was in the lot by then, but Zachary’s little compact was still missing.
“Have you heard from Zach?”I asked as I pulled the front door shut behind me.
Edwina looked up from her doggie bed in the corner, her stubby tail wagging.
Rachel shook her head.“Should I have?”
“I gave him a job last night, so I’m waiting to see what he discovered.Although he probably just stayed out too late and is sleeping in this morning.”
Rachel arched an inquiring brow, and I told her what I’d done.She clicked her tongue.“Probably sleep until noon.Those places stay open all night.And all day.He could still be there.”
Surely not.“Don’t they have to mop the floors sometimes?Like, from eight to ten?”
“Maybe,” Rachel said doubtfully.“Do you want me to call him?”
“Let’s give him a little more time.And anyway, if he’d discovered anything wildly exciting, he probably would have left a message.”
That reminded me of Steven’s message, so I told her about that.And then remembered to mention the ransom note that she also hadn’t heard about.And the missing gun.
“This doesn’t sound like a simple cheating-spouse case,” Rachel said.
I shook my head.“We’ll have to choose more carefully next time.”If there was a next time.“I don’t suppose anyone’s called?”
“You checked the messages,” Rachel said.
“Or emailed?”
She shook her head.“But we’ve only been in business a week, Gina.We’ll get clients once word gets around.”
